Developed by Lebond, an independent watchmaker based in Switzerland that realises designs by leading architects, Sir Norman Foster has made his first foray into creating timepieces.
‘What is particularly interesting about a watch is that you wear it, you travel with it and it becomes part of your everyday life,’ says Foster. ‘The opportunity to reconsider something so familiar as a complete object made the challenge especially interesting.’
The result, which Foster conceived in partnership with the Design & Innovation Unit of the Norman Foster Foundation, is a duo of automatic, mechanical timepieces. One case is matte black, the other micro-sanded matte metallic; both are made from Grade 5 titanium and feature integrated straps. Grade 5 titanium is a material Foster selected with everyday use in mind. ‘The choice of titanium came from performance,’ the Pritzker Prize-winning architect and urbanist explains. ‘Grade 5 titanium has an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, as well as excellent resistance to corrosion and wear. For something that is worn continuously on the wrist, that combination of strength, lightness and durability is particularly valuable. ‘
The choice of material echoes Foster’s overall, cross-genre approach. ‘I have always been interested in materials that perform rather than materials that are simply decorative,’ he says. ‘Grade 5 titanium allowed us to reduce weight without compromising strength, while giving the case a very precise and refined character. The material is therefore integral to both how the watch performs and how it feels.’
Aviation has long been an interest of Foster's and the two Lebond watches feature details that nod to airborne travel. Bidirectional, rotating 12-hour bezels allow a second time zone to be read using the main hour hand. On the dial, typography is clear and restrained. Hands are coated in Super-LumiNova for legibility.
‘I have always been interested in the relationship between design, engineering and precision, and a watch brings all of those things together in a very small and personal object,’ says Foster. ‘What is particularly interesting about a watch is that you wear it, you travel with it and it becomes part of your everyday life. The opportunity to reconsider something so familiar made the challenge especially interesting.’
The Lebond Norman Foster, in black and titanium, are available to buy now from lebond.com at €3500.